Fifth-wheel



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. K. PADEN. FIFTH WHEEL. .No. 525,995. IPatented Sept. 11, 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

S. K. PADBN. FIFTH WHEEL. N0.'5Z5,995. Patented Sept. 11, 1894.

ATTORNEYS,

UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

SAMUEL KANNADY PADEN, OF PETERSBURG, OHIO.

FIFTH-WHEEL. A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,995, datedSeptember 11, 1894.

Application filed January 12, 1894:. Serial No. 496,597- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL'KANNADY Pa DEN, of Petersburg, in the countyof Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new andusefullmpro'vement in Fifth-Wheels, of Which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improvement in thatv class of fifth-wheels in which aking-bolt, or

analogous connection is dispensed with, and

two plates or disks' are employed, the same being rigidly attached tothe axle and bolster respectively, and adapted to rotate on each Ethan,being held together by side clips or The objects I have in view are tosimplify Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of clipswhich I employ.Fig. 4 is mainly a vertical transverse section, a portion being shown inelevation. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of thefifth-wheel and a drop reach connected therewith. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the device to which the drop reach is attached. Fig.7 is a vertical section of the base plate of the fifth-wheel. Fig. 8 isa perspective view of a portion of the axle bolster.

The letters, A and 13, indicate, respectively, the upper or cap plateand lower, or base, plate or disk, which constitute the fifth-wheelproper. The: former, A, is provided with a pendent peripheral rim, whichembraces the edge of the base plate, B, and excludes dust. The said baseplate, B, (Fig. 2) is provided on its under side with two pendentparallel int-egral flanges, b I), having lateral braces, b. The axle,(3, and its bolster, D, are fitted between these flanges, b, and securedby screwbolts, b and clip plates, 11 The heads of the screw-bolts, 11are countersunk (Fig. 2) in the inner side of the base plate, B, andbosses, h, are formed on the under side of said plate for a two-foldpurpose; first, to provide sockets for the heads of the bolts, 19without increasing the thickness of the plate B, as a whole; and,second, to form stops which prevent endwise movement of the bolster, D,by reason of their engagement with the latter as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.For this purpose, the bolster is provided with sockets or recesses, 12to receive the said bosses, which fit snugly therein.

The cap plate, A, has upwardly projecting parallel integral flanges, a,between which the front spring E, of the vehicle is secured by means ofa screw bolt E which passes through both spring and cap plate and has anenlarged cylindrical head f on its lower end (Fig. 4.). Said head f,enters a hole or socket in the center of the base plate B, and forms thepivot on which the latter turns. This socket is lined with a bushing,b", of Babbitt metal to reduce friction and take the wear incident touse. Such bushing is made removable, so that a new one may be readilysubstituted when ever required.

The means for holding the cap plate A, and base plate B, together, aretwo lateral clips or hooks G G, (Figs. 3 and 4,) which lie beneath thespring E, and extend over and embrace the side edges of both the capplate A and base plate B, as shown. The inner ends of said clips, G,(Fig. 3,) are notched to form hooks, g, adapted to engage correspondingones, h, on a central connecting plate, H, which is arranged between theflanges, a, and directly beneath the center of the spring, E, beingsecured by the same bolt, F, that passes through the spring, cap plateand reach iron, I, which latter extends across the spring and is bentdown over the front flange, a. A dovetail connection may be substitutedfor the hooks, as shown in a portion of Fig. 3.

The reason for constructing the clip in parts is to permit attachment ofthe same to the cap and base plates. That is to say, it the clips G, G,were formed entire, or in one piece, the latter could not be appliedbecause the flanges, a, would prevent it being slid on over the capplate.

The hooks g, h, of the clips G and their con necting plate, H, arefitted closely together, and their upper surfaces are flush, so that thelower leaf of the spring, E, rests fiat upon both. Thus the one bolt, F,serves to hold together all these parts, to-wit: the cap plate A,spring, E, clips G, connecting plate, II, and reach iron I, and alsoforms the pivot of the base plate, B. I

The advantages of this construction and arrangement of parts-in respectto simplicity, economy of manufacture, and facility of attamizzhment anddetachment of parts are apparen When a straight reach J, (Figs. 1 and2,) is employed, the cap plate A, is provided with a rear extension,(1., (Fig. 2,) in the form of a narrow bar or tongue, which is bolted tothe reach as shown, and the head of the latter lies between parallelflanges 0, which are integral with the cap plate, A, and is secured by ascrew-bolt, a whose head is countersunk in the under side of said plateA; but

when a drop reach, J, is employed, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 its curvedhead is secured to the outer curved shank of a clip K, whose upperportion or head lies between the aforesaid flanges a and is secured,like the straight reach J by means of a countersunk bolt, which passesalso through a superposed Wooden bloekj, and the reach iron I, as shown.The curved shank of said clip K, has lateral parallel flanges isprojecting from its under side, and between which the reach J, istightly fitted. The inner ends of said flanges 70, project beneath thecontiguous rims or edges of the cap plate A, and base plate B, as shownin Fig. 5, and thus subserve the same function as the lateral clips orbooks G, before described. In brief, the clip K, very efiicientlysupplements the function of clips G.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the central portion of the cap plate A, iscut away or recessed on its under side, to form a chamber a, forlubricant, the oil or otherlubricant employed being introduced, whenrequired, through a hole in the cap plate which is normally closed byawinged screw-plug a, Figs. 1 and 2.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the axle andthe wooden bolster having recesses or sockets in opposite sides, of thebase plate having pendent, parallel, integral flanges which closelyembrace the sides of axle and bolster, and pendent tubular bossesfitting in the bolster sockets, and screw-bolts and clip plates,arranged as shown and described.

2. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the axle and the base platesecured thereto, the flanged cap plate applied to the latter, the springarranged over the cap plate, a removable clip which is interposedbetween said spring and cap plate and embraces the edges of the said capplate and base plate, and a bolt that passes through and securestogether the spring, clip, and cap plate, as shown and described.

3. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the cap plate and baseplate, aspring arranged on the cap plate, aligned clips which embrace the edgesof both plates, and are detachably con nected at their inner ends, andmeans for holding the spring down on the cap plate, as shown anddescribed.

4. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the base plate, the cap plate,clips adapted for embracing the edges of both plates, and

having their inner ends provided with looking projections, a connectingplate having its ends correspondingly constructed fordetachably engagingsaid clips, a spring resting upon said connecting plate, and a boltpassing through cap plate, connecting plate and spring,substantially asshown and described.

5. In a fifth-Wheel, the combination with the base plate,the cap plate,clips embracing the edges of both plates, flanges fixed parallel on thecap plate, a spring and plate placed between said flanges and in contactwith them as specified, said plate being engaged with the clips andconnecting them, and a screw bolt which clamps the spring and plate inplace, as shown and described.

6. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the base plate, and cap plate,the latter having rear parallel flanges, of the curved clip forattachment of the drop reach, the same having shoulders adapted toproject beneath the edge of the base plate, anda straight portion whichfits and is secured between said flanges, as shown and. described.

7. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with the cap plate and base plateof the drop reach clip having parallel flanges projecting from the underside of its shank, and their upper ends abutting the under side ofthebase plate, as shown and described.

SAMUEL KANNADY PADEN.

Witnesses:

AMos W. HART, Some: 0. KEMON.

